Freedom
by gladysnotw
Summary: They both fight for what they feel is right, despite what others think. They've faced great threats and obstacles, but can they face the obstacles and desires of their own hearts? {Post Avengers:AOU} {Hill x Rogers}
1. Chapter 1

"Anything yet?"

Steve sighed deeply and rubbed his forehead. "Nothing."

I lowered my shoulder and sighed too. "I think it's time we call it a night."

He nodded. "Yeah."

He stood up and ran a hand through his blonde hair. I got up and stacked all the papers we were looking through. Despite everything that had happened so far, Steve was still looking for Bucky. You'd think gods, aliens, and a psychotic robot with a pair of insane twins would take his mind off the guy.

"Heading back to you apartment?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's getting dark."

"Afraid of the dark or what?"

"Just reminds that it's time for bed, and I haven't gotten much sleep since...you know."

I just nodded.

"See you tomorrow?" he asked.

"Sure. I'll try and get the satellite footage from earlier. See if we can get _something_ on your friend." I replied, carrying a stack of papers.

He glanced at me. "Well, I meant that I can see you-"

Steve moved his hands as he spoke and knocked a few papers from my hands. "Oh, geez, sorry."

He bent down and picked them up, handing them to me. "Thanks."

"I'll just go, then. See you around, Maria." he said, leaving the room.

When he walked out, I put the papers down and undid my hair from its typical ponytail. God, I was exhausted. I looked at the chair Steve was sitting in and rolled my eyes, smiling. He left his leather jacket behind. I grabbed it and walked out of the room, hoping to catch up to him. As I rounded the corner of the hallway, we bumped into each other.

"Cap." I gasped.

"Jesus, I'm so sorry. I thought you-"

"You left your jacket in the room. That's why you're back, huh?" I handed him his jacket.

He stared at the jacket as if I handed him the meaning of life. "Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah! Right, sorry, I just got..."

"Lost in thought? You're just tired." I said.

He nodded. "Yeah. Tired."

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Maria?"

I turned. "What?"

He hesitated. "Thanks. For my jacket, I mean."

I couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "Anytime. _Bye,_ Cap."

He just nodded, but didn't move. I started back to the room we were in when he said my name again.

"What now?" I laughed.

"Can I see you tomorrow?" he asked.

"You _are_ seeing me tomorrow."

"Well, yeah, but I meant _after_ we were done with the whole...Bucky thing."

I raised my eyebrows. "You mean...like a date?"

He shook his head like a madman."No, no, no. I mean, as...friends. You know, hanging out and just seeing-"

"Steve." I said, cutting him off. "It's okay. I don't have any plans."

He seemed surprised. "No?"

I shook my head, smiling.

"Okay, great. Awesome. Good." he said.

"Now, hurry home."

He nodded and finally walked off. I stood in the hallway for a bit, thinking. Then, I smiled to myself. Steve always made me smile.

 **a/n: So, this my first Avengers fic. I really hope you like. We'll be seeing the other Avengers too, so no need to panic! If you don't ship Hill and Steve, this story probably isn't for you. But i hope you enjoy nonetheless. More to come...**


	2. Chapter 2

I hurried with my work and left to head to my apartment and prepare to meet Steve. As I walked through the hall, I said hello to a few agents and bumped into Natasha. Her red hair caught my eyes first.

"Someone's in a hurry." she said.

"Yeah, I gotta get home."

"Mind if I come with you for a bit? Anymore paperwork and I'm going to rip my hair out." she groaned.

I smiled. "Yeah, come on."

* * *

I left my keys on a dresser by my door and Natasha took a seat on my bed. She scanned the room and chuckled.

"Nice place you got." she said.

"Thanks. It's not much, but it's better than most agents." I replied.

SHIELD agents weren't allowed to have fancy places to settle down in. We weren't supposed to draw so much attention to ourselves. I understood but I didn't exactly like it. I thought it was a little stupid, but it was Fury's orders.

I took out a simple blouse from my closet and shrugged. Natasha noticed and raised an eyebrow.

"Going somewhere special tonight?" she asked.

I glanced at her. "Maybe."

Natasha laughed and got up from the bed. "Who's the lucky guy?"

"Well, yesterday, I was working on some thigns with Steve and he-"

Natasha bursted out laughing and slapped her knee. "Steve, the saint? He asked _you_ out on a date?"

"It's not a date, okay?" I said, feeling my cheeks turn red.

"Well, it obviously isn't when you're going in _that_." she said, taking my blouse from my hand.

"You can't tell me that you know something about dating, Nat." I said, giving her a look.

She smiled. "I know a little. Trust me. Now, here, let me see if we can find you something that'll bring out your eyes."

I rolled my eyes as she barged into my closet and took out a small dress. It was given to me as a present for my birthday by a friend from college. Natasha handed it to me.

"This should do fine." she said, content.

"I'm not really a huge fan of orange." I said, staring at the dress.

"Shut up and put it on already."

I stepped into my bathroom and put it on. Not a bad fit. I came out and Natasha's mouth fell open.

"Whoa."

* * *

"Whoa." Steve said, when he arrived at my apartment.

I blushed a bit. "I'm not a fan of orange. Or _dresses,_ to be honest."

He swallowed. "I'm not either, but you just made me one."

I smiled at that. "So, where we headed, captain?"

He was wearing a black leather jacket with a royal blue buttoned shirt. He looked great.

"You ever ridden a motorcycle?" he asked.

I shook my head.

He tossed me a helmet. "Well, now you have."

We got onto his motorcycle and rode through New York. The city was filled with life and color. All the advertisements flashed and I heard several people talking at once. Steve had a helmet on too so he could cover his face and not be recognized.

We rode until we reached Central Park. The lake reflected the lights from the buildings and stars.

"Keep your helmet on." he said, getting off his motorcycle.

I laughed a bit as he took my hand and we ran through Central Park. We stopped and sat at the end of a grassy hill. He sat down and so did I. He removed his helmet and i had trouble taking off mine.

"Oh, here, let me get that." he said, taking my helmet off.

We stared at each other for a second and he groaned. "Geez, I'm so sorry. I didn't even...are you hungry?"

"No, I'm fine." I replied.

"I'm so sorry. I should've asked you that before." he said, giving his forehead a smack.

"I'm okay, really."

We both smiled at each other and looked up at the night sky. There weren't many stars, but it was still a nice sight. A small breeze made me shiver and he noticed. He took out his jacket, but had trouble getting his arm out of one the sleeves.

I smiled and helped take it off. He looked at me and blushed. "Thanks. You can...you know. Put it on."

I covered my shoulder with it. "Thanks."

He reached into the pocket of the jacket and took out a small block of ice. Then he threw it on the cement. It broke into pieces and I stared at him, confused.

"Okay, now that the ice is broken, you want to take a walk?" he asked.

I laughed a bit. "Okay."

He stood up and held out his hand. "Here."

I took his hand and accidentally tripped on my stupid heels. I fell forward but he caught me and our faces nearly touched.

His eyes grew wide. "Oh, God, I'm so sorry."

I smirked and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He backed away a bit and stared at me. I blushed and quickly regretted what I just did.

"Jesus, I'm sorry. I don't know why the hell I just-"

"Language." he said.

I smiled and he smiled back. "So, how about that walk?"

We walked down the cement path and heard some street performers playing a slow song. Steve stopped and took my hand. I looked up at him and he put his hand on my waist.

"Dance with me?" he asked, quietly.

"Most guys usually just start dancing without asking." I said.

"Well, I'm not most guys." he side-smiled.

"I know." I said.

We danced together and a few people dances with their dates too, but I just kept my eyes fixed on the blue ones before me. Steve was a great dancer and no one was going to tell me otherwise.

* * *

"So, how was it?" Natsha asked, the next day.

"I've never been so happy." I sighed, smiling.

"I never thought Steve would get a date in my life."

"He's not as hopeless as you think."

An agent stepped into the room and cleared his throat. "Agent Hill, Director Fury would like to see you."

I glanced at Natasha and she shrugged. "I'll be here waiting to hear more."

I got up and walked to Fury's office. I knocked on the door and heard him ask me to come in. I obeyed and he was standing up, looking out the large glass window behind his desk.

"You ever seen 'The Notebook', Agent Hill?" he asked.

I grimaced. "Sir?"

"One of the most popular chick flicks of all time and it still has girls crying and writing fanfiction about it." he said, turning to look at me.

"I've never seen it, sir." I said, awkwardly.

"Good because it would probably make you sick. But, I'll tell you about it anyway. There's these two very different people that _think_ they want the same thing. Each other. But, everyone around them tells them that they shouldn't be together because they're more different than they might wish to be."

"I'm sorry, sir. But, did you call me over here to give me a movie review?"

He gave me a look. "No. I called you over here to remind you that you have a job here."

"I'm not sure what part of my service or time here has made you question or forget that, sir."

He chuckled a bit and stood in front of me. "Why don't you ask Rogers?"

My face tightened.

"You forget the rules that we have around here, Hill. The most important one is to remove yourself from _any_ and _every_ relationship in your life."

"I haven't broken any rules, sir."

"No? Then, maybe you'd like to tell me where you were last night."

I looked down and closed my eyes.

"Uh-huh. I didn't think so. You have a job to do and we can't let family or relationships get in our way. Think about that."

"I can handle this on-"

"You can't handle it! That's my point. In order to work for SHIELD, we strongly urge you to remove any connection with the people closest to you because what'll happen when another god or insane robot desides to take over the world? They'll go after those people and we have to think about the world's safety as a whole before we think about them."

I just listened and kept my face without emotion.

"Now, go back to your office and finish your work. Don't speak to Rogers unless it's about work."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Yes, sir."

I left the room and didn't even bother heading to mine. I needed some air. I brushed past a few agents in the hall and ran into a pair of blue eyes.

"Maria." Steve breathed.

My mouth hung open, trying to say something but I couldn't. Steve rubbed the back of his neck and smiled a bit.

"I just wanted-"

I brushed past him and didn't even look back. I could feel his confused stare burning the back of my head.

"Maria?"

I heard his footsteps from behind but kept walking. "What's wrong?"

"Just go away." I said, quietly.

His footsteps stopped and I felt a strange pain in my chest. I could feel his heartbreak along with my own.


	3. Chapter 3

"I don't even know what I did wrong." Steve said, as he ran a hand through his hair.

Tony had a screwdriver in his mouth as he worked.

They were in Tony's basement while Tony was working on improving MARK 42.

"Tell me again and listen to yourself." Tony said.

"I just walked up to her."

Tony looked at him. "And?"

"I wanted to ask her out to lunch or something, but she just walked right past me. Like I wasn't even there." Steve replied.

"Did you go after her?"

"Of course."

"And, she completely ignored you?"

"Yeah, I've only said it a thousand times."

Tony bent down to adjust a bolt on one of the armor's legs. "You are a total genius, you know that?"

"What?"

"Does Fury know anything about you and her?"

Steve shrugged. "I don't know. Should he?"

"Do you have any how strict that man is when it comes to being a SHIELD agent and knowing _certain_ people?"

Steve blinked. "Well, I know he's strict."

Tony rubbed his temples. "Jesus. Okay, listen to me and don't freak out when you hear it. You remember like 2 or 3 years ago when Loki was down here and we were called to SHIELD? All of us?"

Steve thought about it. "You mean, when you barged in and started cracking jokes?"

"Right, sure. Well, remember when I told you JARVIS was running a download of all the security files on the ship and you got pissed?"

Steve rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes."

"Okay, well, I found out a lot about who the SHIELD agents know when it comes to family and friends. Turns out, most of them haven't contacted the people they know in _years_."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Remember Coulson?"

Steve swallowed and looked down. "Yeah."

"He told me he had a _thing_ with some cellist down in Portland, _but_ he told me to keep it between us. I worked it out. Fury pretty much _forbids_ any contact with any outside of SHIELD, if you're a SHIELD agent."

Steve started to understand. "So, you think that...Fury told her not to speak to me?"

Tony clapped. "We have a winner, Johnny."

"But...why would he forbid her from speaking to me? Why are SHIELD agents not allowed to make contact with people outside of SHIELD?"

Tony frowned. "And, take the money back, Johnny. Come on, Cap. Use your head. If a SHIELD agent is in too much contact with a friend or loved one, they endager their safety. That's why the agents either don't have a family or never speak to their families."

"But, that's stupid. She won't endanger _me_."

Tony shrugged. "I don't make the rules, okay? But, as hard as it may be, you shoulder probably keep away from Hill."

Steve sighed and shook his head. "You really think I should?"

"What are you, an idiot? Of _course_ not. Forget Fury and sweep Hill off her feet for all I care."

JARVIS spoke up. "Sir, I think that would be unwise, seeing as-"

"Grow a spine, JARVIS." Tony interrupted.

"Okay, I'll do it."

"Just calm down and shut up about it. Keep love alive, Cap."

* * *

I fired my gun at the target and, as usual, made a perfect shot. Wiping my forehead, I let out a deep sigh. I had been practicing for hours, trying to keep my mind off of Steve. Nat joined me in the room and clapped as I hit another target.

"I think you're just as good as me, and that's saying something." she said.

"Yeah, well, anything that'll get my mind off Steve is enough for me."

"Frankly, I don't see why you're being a goody-two-shoes about it. Why do you care if Fury knows about it? What's the worst he could do?"

I paused and looked at the next target. "That's the point. I don't know what's the worst he could do."

Nat scoffed. "If it's anybody's business, I think you and Steve could _use_ a relationship. You guys are always working and never...out."

I brushed some of my hair from my eyes. "Out?"

"Yeah, you know, socializing with other people. Ever heard of it?" she smirked.

"Very funny." I said, firing another bullet.

She wiped her nose and laughed aloud. I just shook my head, trying to ignore her. She was usually quiet in front of other people, except me.

"But, really, what's got you faithful to Fury all of a sudden?" she asked.

I paused again. "A few years back, you remember the whole Winter soldier thing?"

Nat shrugged and smirked. "I might've heard of it."

"Well, before Fury faked his death, he came to me one a few nights before it happened. I walked into my apartment and he was there. He told me what he planning to do, and I said I'd follow his orders and not tell anyone his death would be fake. I also told him that I would care for SHIELD while he was gone. SHIELD, of course, didn't end up in my command since they started going after Cap and such.

"Anyway, he said that I needed to be careful because he was giving me a huge load. I had to remember all my training. But, he also told me something. Something I'll never forget."

Nat leaned in a bit, as my voice got softer. I shivered at the memory and swallowed.

"He said...if I did anything he felt was wrong...he would kill me."

Natasha's jaw slightly hung open. I lowered my eyes and held my breath. She put a hand on my shoulder and stared at me.

"But, you did good. You kept the secret and everything ended well." she said.

"Not everything. Bucky's still out there. And, it's a miracle Fury hasn't found out about Steve and I looking for him behind his back."

"Look at me, okay?" Nat asked, holding both of my shoulder. "The whole Winter Soldier thing and Hydra wasn't your fault. You did good, no matter what Fury says. No agent has ever cleaned up his mess better than you. You've been faithful to him and he treats you like crap. You don't have any reason to be angry at yourself."

I looked into her eyes. Her hands felt rough. They had fired many guns and killed many, but that's not what I felt. I felt the touch of a friend. A real friend.

"Thanks, Nat." I said, blinking away tears.

"Stay strong, you understand?"

I nodded. "I should get going. It's a little late."

"Right. But, hey, don't walk away from Steve like that again. He's probably setting up some diagram at home, trying to figure out why you did it."

I laughed a bit.

"Or worse, he's asking Tony for advice." she joked.

* * *

I walked through the hall and entered the bathroom to wash my face. The cold water against my face was refreshing and helped me calm down. My muscles weren't so tense anymore and I could finally breathe. I headed out of the bathroom and stopped when I saw someone.

 _Steve...?_

He was standing at the end of the hallway. There was no other way for me to avoid him. I just bit my lip and kept walking. As I approached him, he stared deep into my soul, it seemed. I brushed past him again, cursing myself for doing it.

"Hey." he said, strictly.

I stopped.

I heard him approach me and he turned me around. He looked into my eyes and I stared into his. He was hurting. I could tell. Any idiot could tell.

"Tell me this doesn't feel real." he said, quietly.

His hand went behind my neck and brought my face to his. His lips met mine and my eyes widened. I couldn't believe it. When we parted, I was in total shock.

"That felt real." I whispered.

"Funny, it didn't feel real to me. Why?"

"Maybe I didn't try hard enough."

I grabbed his shirt and kissed him back. His eyes closing showed me that it definitely felt real to him.

"I know what Fury said to you. But, I don't care."

"Neither do I." I replied.

"Then, don't forget it."

* * *

After Steve walked me to my car, I drove home. He wasn't angry at me. I couldn't have felt a better feeling. I just felt happy and content. I shut the door to my car and headed into my apartment. I opened the door and dropped my keys on my dresser. As I stepped into my living room, I turned on the kitchen light.

"Did it feel real?"

I jumped and grabbed a knife. Turning around, I felt my heart stop.

"Director Fury." I said, feeling a bit of relief.

He stood up from my couch and stood in front of me. "You remember what I did for you, Hill? All those years ago when you were just a stupid young adult, trying to prove to the world that she had a little fight inside of her?"

I slammed the knife on the counter, and it slid to the floor. "I did what I promised, didn't I? I was already working with the government and you just happened to want me for SHIELD."

"I was there for you when your father was killed and I stupidly let you work for SHIELD out of sympathy."

"I didn't ask you to do it." I said, gritting my teeth.

"What was the promise you made?"

I hesitated, angrily.

"I'm sorry. I didn't hear what you said." he said, leaning into my face.

"I...promised to be faithful to SHIELD and its director."

"That's right. And, you joined because you felt that you could prove to your dead daddy..."

"Stop it."

"...that it wasn't your fault that your mother died..."

" _Stop_ it."

"...while giving birth to you."

I slammed my fist on the counter. "Shut up!"

He paused but continued. "Every day of your life, he blamed you for her death. And, you thought trying to save the lives of others would make up for it."

"I've been loyal to my promise. I kept it for almost ten years and you treat me like crap. Ever since Coulson-"

I bit my lip, stopping myself.

"What about Coulson? I've done so much for you, practically raised you. And, you still look at him like some fatherly figure. All he did was teach you how to shoot a gun, and now he's your hero."

I fought back tears. "He was faithful to you. And, you weren't even honest about his death."

He grimaced at that.

"How could you tell Steve he had those cards in his jacket when he died? Do you know how that could've haunted him? Don't you know how sensitive he can be to those things?" I asked, almost yelling.

I had never been slapped before, but that night was the exception. Fury raised his hand and slapped me across the face. It stung pretty badly and I couldn;t even touch it because it hurt so bad.

"All of you think I'm the bad guy. But, there's dark secrets in your past too, aren't there? Why did your father die in the first place?"

Angry tears began to build up. "How dare you-"

He cupped his ear with his hand. "What was that?"

"I was only 15 and I was held at gunpoint! They said they'd either shoot me or my father!"

"And, why didn't you choose yourself, Hill?"

"I don't need to say anything about it. Get _out_!"

"You're just afraid."

"Get out!"

He grabbed my chin, roughly and asked, "Why didn't you choose _yourself_?"

I swallowed the lump on my throat. "Because I hated my father."

"You practically hired them to shoot him. And to protect your little behind from the authorities, I stood up for you." he spat.

He released my chin and I wiped my tears.

"You stay away from Rogers or things between you and I are gonna get uglier."

"You damn coward."

"I've been called worse. Now, get some sleep, you'll be called in tomorrow."

He brushed my shoulder as he walked past me and left my apartment. I covered my face with my hands and sobbed. I've never felt so trapped.


	4. Chapter 4

"You should've been there." Steve said, as he and Tony shopped for groceries.

Tony picked up a liter of Coke and placed it in the cart. "Yeah. Uh-huh. You think one bottle's enough?"

"She just needs some time, you know?"

Tony sighed and walked ahead, muttering to himself. "Sure, Tony, I think one's enough."

"Why are you having this get-together, anyway? Isn't that a little off in your style?"

"I'm doing it because it was Pepper's idea, and you know how she gets. Besides, it's only you, Bruce, Nat, Pepper, and what's-her-name."

" _Maria_." Steve said.

"That's what I said. Anyway, did you even tell her about it?"

Steve groaned and rubbed his temples. "No. But, I'll tell her when I stop by her apartment today."

"You know, maybe _I_ better call her because you might forget when you're over there."

"Right. I think that'll be better. By the way, answer me one question."

They entered the dairy section and Tony placed a jug of milk into the cart. "Shoot."

"Since when do you do your own grocery shopping?"

Tony looked at him, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't you have people to do that for you? In fact, don't you have people who go grocery shopping for _those_ people?"

Tony grimaced as he grabbed a magazine. "I guess I would if I knew that many _people_. What's your point?"

"You don't seem like the...grocery shopping type of guy, is my point. Aren't you a little too...important or...cool for that?"

Tony flipped through the magazine. "What are you? A third grader? Nobody says 'cool' anymore. And, to answer your question, I personally like to go grocery shopping. It gives me time to think and be alone."

Suddenly, a pair of children came up to them and asked for Tony's autograph. Steve sighed and pretended to look through a magazine. When the children left, he gave Tony a sarcastic smile.

"Gives you time to think and be alone, huh?"

"Did I mention that I also like the attention?" Tony asked, as he pushed the cart towards the meat section.

Steve rolled his eyes and deepened his voice. "Did I mention that I also like the attention? Idiot."

"What was that?" Tony asked.

"We forgot to buy some bread."

* * *

I sat in my apartment alone. Fury had called me a million times but I didn't pick up my phone. I wasn't feeling too good to go to work. I made some toast but I just wasn't hungry.

My phone rang again and I noticed that Tony was calling. I rolled my eyes and answered.

"Hello?"

" _Maria? You hear me?"_

"Yeah, what, Tony?"

" _Steve forgot to tell you, but I'm having a small get-together at my place in about an hour."_

I grimaced. "A get-together? Isn't that a little...off on your style?"

I heard him sigh. " _You coming or what?"_

"Not interested. Thanks."

" _It's Fury, isn't it? Is he there?"_

I swallowed. "No, he's not here. Is there something else you want?"

" _Listen, Steve's been talking to me about what's going on and I think you're-"_

"It doesn't matter what you think, okay? It doesn't matter what I think either. Fury's keeping a close eye on me, in fact, he might even be monitoring this call, as we speak. So, just have fun at your little party and take care of yourself."

" _He's monitoring this call? Then, he can kiss my-"_

I hung up and sighed. I tossed my phone aside and rubbed my eyes. A knock at my door made me groan. I got up and opened it.

"Steve?"

He gave me a warm smile. "Hey."

"What are you...doing here?"

"I just wanted to...has Tony called you?"

"Yeah, I just got off the phone with him. And, I'm sorry but I can't come over because I have a million things to do and very little time to do them, so if you'll just-"

"You don't have to be scared of Fury." he said, taking my hand. "I'm right here. You'll be with me. I'll keep you safe."

I wanted to argue but his stupid eyes wouldn't let me. "Steve...I believe you, but I just...can't risk it."

"Just come with me. You can stay with me. I'll protect you."

"You can't protect me. No matter where I go, he finds me. Always."

"If he does, I'll always be there to back you up."

I lowered my eyes. It sounded like a great plan. It just sounded too good to be true.

"I can't. Don't you see?"

He nodded and looked down. "I understand."

"Thank you-"

He pulled me towards him and threw me onto his shoulder. My stomach was squeezed a bit from his rough shoulder and he held my legs with his arm.

"Steve, I'm not kidding around! Put me down _right_ now." I said, slamming my fists against his back.

"I understand but that doesn't mean I agree." he said, as we walked through the apartments.

A couple spotted us and stared, wondering if they should call help.

Steve gave them a smile. "It's hard for her to leave the old apartment and move into the new dream home."

They stared blankly and watched us approached a fancy car. Tony stepped out and stared in surprise.

"Who said Captain America can't get women?" he asked.

I couldn't see him but I heard him. "Tony, you lying douch-"

"Language." he and Tony said in unison.

Steve put me down and held my arms, tightly. "Let's get into the car."

"I am _not_ getting into that car, Steve Rogers. You hear me? You let me go this _second_!" I scolded.

A woman who was walking her dog stopped when she heard me yelling. Tony gave her a shrug. "She doesn't like the car too much."

The woman looked at me like I was crazy as she stared in awe at the car. Steve dragged me inside the back of the car and Tony climbed in.

"We all have our seat belts on? So we can be safe?" he asked, as he started to drive.

I folded my arms and stared out the window. Steve reached over and put my seat belt on for me. I gave him a cold look and he gave me his stupid cut, little smile. "Seat belts save lives."

"You're gonna need more than a seat belt to save _yours_ when I get my hands on you." I spat.

"Jesus, she's even worse than Pepper when she's pissed." Tony said.

I felt my cheeks burn with anger. "Shut up, Tony."

"Trust me, you'll thank me for this years from now when you've got little Steve's and Maria's running around the house." he said.

I blushed and looked at Steve. He blushed too and looked away. The car was, shockingly, quiet the rest of the way. I managed to cool down but I was still upset. I didn't know that that afternoon would be the greatest afternoon of my life.

* * *

 **A/N: Who said celebrities can't do their own grocery shopping? More to come...  
**


	5. Chapter 5

_I've gotta fight today to live another day_

* * *

We all gathered in the living room and Steve sat beside me with his arm around me. Tony sat by Pepper and with a drink in his hand, of course.

"Where's Bruce?" Tony asked.

Nat lowered her eyes. "Shut up, Stark."

She spoke in a bitter voice and I glared at Tony. He shrunk from hearing Nat's voice and dropped the subject. Bruce had disappeared and hadn't contacted any of them. Not even Tony.

"So, who's hungry? We've got New York pizza and Coke on the table." Pepper said, smiling.

Natasha got up for a Coke and pizza and Tony followed. Steve looked at me, asking if I was hungry.

"No, not really. Thanks." I said.

He got up and grabbed a Coke, and sat back down.

"Jesus, that pizza is hot as Hell." Tony said, nearly dropping his slice.

Natasha smirked. "Steve, Tony said a bad lang-"

Steve threw her a look. "Drop it."

Nat and I laughed. "Is that still going on?"

Steve looked at me. "No. It's not."

I smiled and he shook his head. We glanced at each other again and he smiled. Tony noticed and rolled his eyes. Then, his eyes sparked as he got an idea.

"Hey, let's play a game." he said, sitting up on the couch.

"Oh, this'll be interesting." Nat said, sitting up.

Tony placed his Coke bottle on the table and gave it a spin. I gave him a look.

"What are you, a high school freshman?" I asked.

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you scared you're gonna get _me_ or something?"

I twisted my lip and frowned. "I thought you'd come up with something more... _creative."_

"I think the whole SHIELD thing's getting to your head, sweetheart. Let loose and have fun." Tony said, biting his pizza.

"Fine. You guys play. I'm going outside for some air."

I got up and walked out onto the balcony. Tony glanced at Steve who was frowning at him.

"Wow, you guys are _meant_ for each other." Tony scoffed.

Steve rolled his eyes. "Why? Because we both find you annoying?"

"No, because you both suck the fun out of everything." Tony said.

Pepper gave him a small shove. "I rented a movie we can watch. We also have Netflix."

"That sounds fine with me. I need to catch up on The Walking Dead." Nat smirked.

Steve walked towards the balcony and Tony noticed. "Not in the mood for Netflix, Rogers?"

Stev grimaced. "What's that? A movie?"

Tony and Natasha shared a glance and laughed. Steve ignored them and came outside with me. He looked out at the city as the sun was setting.

"I always loved watching the sun set." I mumbled.

"I've always preferred watching the sun come up. It meant that another night of Hell was over and I was given a new day of life."

I looked at him. "That's very deep."

"I don't like to brag, but it sure as heck is." he smirked.

"Was that your first kiss since-"

"No, it was not. Nat actually forced me to kiss her a while back. We were undercover." he chuckled.

I nodded. "Ah, right. She told me about that."

He looked at me, smiling. He reached out and brushed some hair from my face. He gently turned my face towards his and pressed his soft lips against mine. We stayed that way for a while, until my earpiece went off. I pulled away and he bit his lip.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Hill? This is Gonzalez, we need you and Rogers to come in. We think we've spotted his friend."

My eyes widened and I turned to Steve. "Oh my God."

"What? What's wrong?" he asked.

"They think they've found Bucky. We've gotta go."

We rushed back into the house and everyone stared. I pulled on my jacket and Steve glanced at Tony.

"We need your car." he panted.

Tony's eyes nearly bursted. "Whoa, whoa, heck to the no. Nobody drives-"

"Great, thanks." Steve said, rushing out of the tower.

I hurried after him as we climbed into Tony's car. The tires screeched as he backed up and drove into the street.

"You're sure that's what they said?" he asked, out of breath.

"It was Gonzalez. He says they've spotted him, but he didn't tell me where exactly."

Steve nodded and tried to focus on driving. I could tell he was anxious to get to SHIELD and get more information.

"We're going to find him." I said, softly.

He looked at me. "I know, it's just..."

He fell silent and I stared at him. "What?"

He bit his lip. "What am I going to say to him? How do I approach him?"

"You'll figure it out when it happens. When you see him."

We shared a glance and small smile. We were silent the rest of the drive.

* * *

"There's been some Hydra troops moving alongside the coast, here." Gonzalez said, drawing on a map.

"But, what about Barnes? How can you be so sure he's there?" I asked, arms folded.

He ran a hand through his dark hair and sighed. "It's close to where Rogers last saw him. Plus, it's the first sign of any Hydra activity in months. It's a start for you."

I sighed. "I thought you said he was spotted."

"I...know I did. But, Director Fury said-"

"Fury knows about this?" Steve asked.

He was in his uniform, tall and handsome.

"W-Well, he's the on who informed me of the activity and I thought you guys should know. Like I said, it's a start for you guys to find this Winter Soldier."

I just nodded. "We'll head down there now."

We drove down to the coast and located the warehouse where Gonzalez told us to search. I climbed off of the motorcycle and loaded my handgun. Steve grabbed his shield and led the way. The warehouse only had a handful of guards. One spotted us and shouted.

I shot him down as more guards showed up. Steve threw his shield and managed to hit three of them. I ducked as bullets flew past me.

"Go, go! Through that window!" Steve yelled.

I ran and crashed through the window with Steve behind me. We landed into an empty storage room and spotted a door. Gun in hand, I opened it and saw that the warehouse was empty. It was huge and filled with computers and mahcines.

"Nobody's here." I said.

"Why guard a warehouse with nobody in it?" Steve asked.

I touched a keyboard and grimaced. "Maybe there's something on here that can lead us to Bucky."

"Can you hack it?" Steve asked.

"I can try."

I started typing a few codes while Steve kept watch. The warehouse was quiet. Suddenly, I heard a click.

"Move!"

Steve pushed me down and I heard a gunshot. I landed on my stomach and quickly got up to see Steve clutching his leg. It was grazed by the bullet and he hissed from the pain.

I heard footsteps from above and saw a man running on a platform above us. I took out my gun and shot twice, and i managed to shoot his leg. He clutched it and tumbled down onto the first floor. I rushed over to him and gasped.

"It's you."

Bucky Barnes stared at me with dark eyes and anger. He wore a leather jacket and a scarf was wrapped around the lower half of his face. He stood up like i hadn't even shot him and punched my jaw.

I ducked down and kicked at his legs. I missed and he reached down, grabbing me by the hair. He wrapped his metal arm around my neck and grabbed my gun. He aimed it at my head and he spoke to Steve.

"Why did you come here? Who sent you?" he demanded.

Steve slowly got up. "Bucky...it's me. We're not here to hurt you."

"If you're not trying to hurt me, then why did you bring _her_?"

"She's just...she's here to help."

Bucky stared at him, coldly. "You shouldn't have come looking for me. Why do you keep coming after me?"

Steve panted. "You're my friend. You just don't remember me."

Bucky hesitated and stared at him. "I want to talk to you, but alone."

Steve nodded. "Okay. Just leave her alone and she'll go. We can talk, then."

Suddenly, gun shots were heard and Bucky hardened his grip on me. He started to step away with me.

"I'll contact you. Then, we can talk." Bucky said to him.

"I can help you, don't you-"

"Don't come after me now! I'll send you a sign!" Bucky yelled.

Steve hesitated but nodded. "Okay, just let her go."

Bucky still held onto me and backed away. Steve stepped towards him but he shot at the ground before his feet.

"Stay back." he threatened.

"I get it, just let her go!" Steve yelled.

Bucky fired above Steve's head and he ducked down. Then, he dragged me out of the warehouse. More guards appeared and we hid behind an old car.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

"Shut up." he hissed.

I struggled against him, but it was useless.

"I need you. It's the only way he'll come." Bucky sneered.

"You take me and all of SHIELD will come." I snapped.

"No, the director told me he wouldn't have SHIELD interfere. He said your friend would come if I took you from-"

I grimaced. "The director told-"

His hand slapped over my mouth. I heard shouting and gunshots and I prayed that Steve would escape without anymore injuries. Or at least, with his life. A motorcycle answered my questions. We watched as Steve drove away. Bucky lifted me up and dragged me along. We walked towards a small house about a mile away.

We walked up the porch and into the house. It was an old place and was deserted. He sat me down in a chair and kept my gun aimed at me.

"Put your hands up." he ordered.

I obeyed and he began to pat me for weapons. He stopped in front of my face and stared into my eyes.

"He really cares about you." he said, quietly.

I stared back at him. "How did you get into contact with Director Fury?"

"He contacted _me_. He's been watching me for months. Always knowing where I've been, never giving me a moment's peace." he spat.

"He knew where you were..? But, how could-"

He gave me a slap. "Enough questions. You better hope that this guy comes alone and tells me everything. The director said he knows everything about me. That we had some kind of past."

I shook my head. "You don't have to do this. I can just tell you everything-"

Another slap. "I want to hear it from _him_! If he doesn't come alone, we'll just keep running until he does. I'm calling the shots here."

"He's your friend." I said, quietly. "He doesn't want to trick you."

Bucky just stared. I rubbed my cheek and lowered my eyes.

"I don't want to hurt you, you got it? But, if you don't cooperate, things will get ugly." he said, softly.

I said nothing.

"Now, let's get in contact with your friend."

* * *

Steve hurried into the tower where everyone was shocked to see him return so quickly.

"Where's Maria? Did you take her home?" Pepper asked.

Steve shook his head. "Bucky..Bucky took her. We found him."

Tony stood up. "Whoa, what? Rewind, please."

Natasha also stood up. "Bucky? Where is he? Why did he take her?"

Steve shook his head. "He's using her to get to me. He wants to me to see him."

"But, why take Maria?" Tony asked.

"I just need to wait until he contacts me. He said he would." Steve replied.

Natasha walked up to him. "Don't worry, we'll get her back. She'll be okay."

"So, are we supposed to just sit here and wait?" Tony asked.

"How was he going to get in touch with you?" Natasha asked Steve.

"Sir? You'd better turn on the television. I think you'll find the answers you seek." JARVIS said, suddenly.

Tony grabbed his remote and turned on the television. He flipped to the news and everyone stared in shock. A small shop owner was angry that his shop had been vandalized. On the side of the shop, someone had painted a large red star. Steve recognized it as the star on Bucky's metal arm.

"That's him." he mutter under his breath.

Natasha looked at him. "We should head out."

"No, if you come, he'll hurt Maria."

"We're not letting you go alone." she argued.

"I have to do this on my own. He just wants to talk. If I can-"

"Perhaps I should contact Director Fury, sir?" JARVIS asked.

"No, he'll just send a whole army down there." Tony said.

"But, sir, he's called twice already."

They all glanced up at the ceiling.

"He's called? What the heck does he want? Call him back."

"Yes, sir."

They all waited until they heard a dial tone. Finally, they heard Fury's voice.

"Stark? You finally remembered that you have a phone?" he asked.

"You know, busy doing things and no time to see that the ex-wife's calling." Tony shrugged with a smirk.

"Is Rogers there with you? I need to have a word with him."

Everyone looked at Steve. "I'm here, director."

"You watching the news? Looks like you've gotten your wish."

"I saw the news."

"Where's Hill? I haven't been able to contact her."

Steve hesitated and cleared his throat. "She's not here with us."

A pause. "I see."

"I'm going to go after Bucky."

"Of course you are. Take care of yourself while you're there."

Steve grimaced but thanked him. He grabbed his shield and hurried out to his motorcycle.

* * *

"Sorry to do this, but it's all necessary." Bucky said, as he finished tying me to a chair.

"You're just making this worse for yourself. You don't have to do this." I said.

"That all depends on how you look at it." he shrugged.

His long hair draped over his shoulder as he lit himself a cigar.

"Did they hurt you? Hydra?" I asked, quietly.

He glanced at me. "Shut up."

"They must've. They broke you, didn't they?"

"Why the hell do you care about what they did to me?"

He held my gun and placed it under my chin. "The director said you'd probably be an issue."

I grimaced. "He told you to-"

"Never mind what he told me!" he growled.

His breath smelled of smoke, making me cringe as he spoke in my face.

"If Steve does tell you the truth about everything, what'll you do then? Are you going to be a changed man? What the hell do you hope to gain from all of this? Don't you see that this-"

The gun clicked and I shut my eyes. "I just want to know who the hell I am, alright?"

His eyes started to water with angry tears. he kept the gun at my chin and sniffed. "I just want to know."

"But, you didn't have to do all this to find out." I whispered.

"You just don't know. You don't know what he's going to do if I didn't do this."

"Who's going to-"

He hit me against the head with the gun and I started to see stars. He stood up and walked out of the house. I felt something warm slide down the side of my head. I tried to wipe it with my shoulder and I saw the blood stain my jacket.

Suddenly, I heard a motor from outside.

 _Steve_.

I heard some talking and the door opened. Steve saw me and glanced at Bucky.

"Let's talk outside." Bucky grunted.

Steve looked back at me and left the house with Bucky. They talked for several minutes until I heard shouting and then fighting. I struggled against the rope but it was no use. Suddenly, they crashed through the door and onto the floor. Steve punched Bucky's jaw and received a punch in return.

"I don't want to fight you, you hear me?" Steve yelled.

Bucky ignored him and kicked him in the stomach. Steve wheezed and fell down. Bucky walked up to me but Steve grabbed his ankle and dragged him down. Bucky kicked him in the face and got back up. His metal hand grabbed my throat and choked me.

Suddenly, I heard a loud clang and Bucky collapsed onto the floor. Steve had knocked him unconscious with his shield. He quickly untied me and helped me stand.

"You okay?" he panted.

His lip was bleeding. I gently touched it and nodded. "You look like crap."

"We've gotta go. Come on."

I looked down at Bucky. "But, what about-"

"Now's not the time." he replied.

I looked at him in surprise. "What?"

"This was all a plot."

I stopped and he looked at me. "What are you talking about?"

"We don't have time to-"

"Tell me, Steve."

I walked up to him and pulled his mask off. Now, I saw his face and held it in my hands.

He stared into my eyes and hesitated. "I think Fury set this whole thing up."

"Fury..."

"Bucky mentioned him. He said that he told him to use you to get to me."

I nodded. "He told me the same thing. He also said something about doing all of this because of... _him_. He must've meant Fury!"

"But, why would Fury use him to get to me? It makes no sense."

"I don't know. But, he won't get away with this."

He pressed his forehead against mine and closed his eyes. "I feel like the more i see of the world...the less and less epople I can trust. Now...I feel like you're one of the few that I trust."

I swallowed as his hands held my arms, gently. "I know."

* * *

 **A/N: So sorry for not updating, but here's a long chapter. More to come...**


	6. Chapter 6

Bucky burst out of the house and tackled Steve to the ground.

"No!" I shouted.

I climbed ontop of Bucky and tried to pull him off of Steve.

"Run, Maria!" Steve yelled.

Bucky gave Steve a punch in the jaw and turned to face me. I froze and got my guard on. As I looked into his eyes, I noticed something very off about their color. Something I didn't notice before. He lunged at me but I made a swift move and kicked his stomach, knocking him back.

"I'm going to rip you apart." he sneered.

As I looked into his eyes again, I grimaced. I had seen those eyes before, but not on just on Bucky. Steve got on his feet and wrapped his arms around Bucky's neck, choking him.

"Steve, it's not Bucky!" I realized.

"What?" he grimaced, struggling to maintain his hold on Bucky.

"I need you punch him really hard in the head."

"What, my shield didn't do the job okay for you?"

"You need to hit him harder."

"Well, it's in the house!"

Bucky grabbed Steve's arms and bent forward, causing Steve to fall over Bucky and onto his back. I rushed into the house and grabbed his shield. Groaning came from outside and I hurried back out. Steve held out his hand from afar.

"Throw it!"

Bucky turned to me and smirked with his lips bleeding. His eyes hungered for death and bloodshed. I took a deep breath and gave the shield a hard throw. It flew across the air as Bucky jumped up to grab it. Steve ran in front of him and grabbed it. He cartwheeled and threw it at Bucky's face. He stumbled and fell backwards onto the ground.

I let out an exhausted sigh and stood by Steve.

"What did you mean it wasn't him?" he asked.

I rubbed my arm. "I...I looked into his eyes and..I didn't see _him_. He wasn't himself. He didn't seem innocent like before. He had this, like, wild animal kind of mentallity."

"You think someone's controliing his mind." he nodded.

"It's gotta be. And, I think I have a good idea as to who it is."

"Fury."

"We've got to contact the others and approach Fury ourselves."

He nodded. "Let's move."

* * *

We entered SHIELD headquarters and walked towards Fury's office. When we tried to open it, it was locked.

"Stand back." Steve said.

He gave the door and hard kick and it burst open. I raised both eyebrows and walked in. Fury's office was ahead but his chair was empty.

"Where could-"

"After all my warnings, after all my threats, you never learn do you, Hill?"

We both looked around but saw no sign of Fury. Steve clutched his shield and I had my gun in hand. We scanned the room but saw nothing. Suddenly, Steve groaned aloud in pain as electric waves shocked his body.

"Steve!" I cried.

He fell to the floor, unconscious. I bent down and saw a small piece of metal in his back. I reached out to remove it, but a voice stopped me.

"Unless you want to get shocked with 1,000 bolts of electricity, I wouldn't touch that."

Fury approached us and I aimed my gun at him. "What the hell are you playing at?"

He grimaced. "What are you talking about?"

"You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about. Hiring Bucky to kidnap me to lure Steve into finding him, so he can kill us both."

He circled around us, holding the gun he used to shock Steve. I kept my eyes fixed on him, trying to find some means of escape.

"So harsh. Yet, very clever." Fury said.

"Answer me!" I yelled.

He stopped circling us and chuckled. I looked into his eyes and grimaced. They were the same as Bucky's a dark color. I had seen those eyes before.

"You're not Fury." I said, tightening my grip on my gun.

"How can I not be Fury?"

"Because I've seen those eyes before. They're the same ones I saw on Bucky...and Dr. Selvig. No...you're not-"

Fury laughed. "You've looked right through me, and this was supposed to be fun."

Fury's eyes turned a bright blue and his skin turned pale. Suddenly, I was faced with Loki, the god of mischief. I shook my head.

"There is no way that-"

"You think that a mere mortal like yourself is as clever or as powerful as a god, like me? It's a wonder why my brother sympathizes with your kind. I suppose it's because you're as weak and pathetic as he is." Loki said, hands clasped behind his back.

"What do you want from me? From Steve? Why would you attack _us_ of all people?" I asked.

"I thought the soldier was more interesting, to be honest. And, as for you..."

He reached out his hand and stroked my cheek. "...Well, I had other...personal reasons."

I fired my gun but he grabbed my wrist, throwing off my aim. He swiped my gun away but I was ready to fight back. I raised my leg to kick but he grabbed it and twisted it. I groaned and stumbled to the floor next to Steve.

He grabbed a fistful of my hair, lifting me to my feet. I cringed as I felt tears fill my eyes. I grabbed his arm and twisted it, causin him to release my hair. I shoved him away, but he vanished. I looked around for him and he appeared behind me. His strong arm wrapped around my neck and I couldn't breathe.

His lips spoke by my ear. "You will all fall before me and pay for ruining my moment of glorious triumph over-"

I bit down on his hand and he pushed me away groaning in pain. "Word of advice: Keep the grand speech until you _actually_ triumph."

He smirked and looked down at Steve. "A real soldier, this one."

"He's more than you'd ever _dream_ of being." I spat.

This angered him and he slapped me across the face. Who ever knew that a slap from a god would hurt so much. I fell to the floor but staggered to get up.

"Where's Fury?" I demanded.

"He's alive, but somewhere he wouldn't get in my way." Loki smirked. "Luckily for me, I have something that both he and the brave soldier, here, treasure the most."

"And, what's that?" I spat.

"You."

He lunged at me but I dodged and threw myself down to the floor. I grabbed Steve's shield and held it in front of me. Loki suddenly opened his mouth and made a strange noise. His eyes started to turn red and his skin turned blue. From his mouth came ice but I managed to block it with the shield.

"Sweet Jesus." I panted.

I heard a groan and looked down at Steve. Loki noticed him move too and held him down with his foot on Steve's back.

"Maria?" he mumbled.

"Steve, it's okay." I said, holding his shield close.

"Put the shield down and surrender yourself to me now."

"Or what?"

"If I've done my research well, this little soldier was found in ice. And, I think it only seems reasonable to put him back where he came from."

Loki bent down and touched Steve's back. Ice started to creep along it and he groaned from the cold. I watched, trying to think of something. I shut my eyes as Steve let out a scream.

"Stop it! Just...stop."

Loki raised an eyebrow. I lowered my eyes and shook my head. Steve slowly lifted his head.

"Maria...what are you doing?" he mumbled, weakly.

"The right thing..."

Loki chuckled and walked towards me. I bit my lip and said, "And, the stupid thing."

Without another second to think, I threw the shield at Loki and it crashed onto his leg. He groaned in agony and gritted his teeth. Steve saw his chance and thrusted his legs at Loki, tripping him. Loki grabbed Steve's arm and a scepter appeared in his hand.

"You'll regret this." he sneered.

Then, he and Steve disappeared. I stood alone and shut my eyes. I gritted my teeth and felt tears coming. Angrily, I wiped them away and sniffed.

 _Get over yourself, you wimp._

I narrowed my eyes and ran out of the room to find the others.


	7. Chapter 7

I ran out of the office and was greeted to a punch in the jaw when I went around a corner. I groaned and stumbled back, rubbing my jaw. Natasha stepped out with shock in her eyes.

"Maria? I swear I thought you were Fury."

I grimaced. "You would punch... _Fury_?"

She shrugged. "I've actually been wanting to do it for some time. He can get on my nerves at times."

"Nat, where is everybody else?"

Suddenly, she tackled me to the ground as the wall behind her exploded. Tony flew in with his suit as the helmet cleared away to show his face.

"Where's Fury?" he asked.

Natash and I go up from the floor as I replied, "He's gone. Loki...he's back and he has him somewhere. He took Steve too."

Tony snorted and shook his head/ "No, seriously, _what_ happened?"

Agent Barton stepped through the large hole in the wall behind Tony, holding his bow and nodding at Natasha. "What'd I miss?"

Natasha spoke before I could. "Loki's back, according to Maria. How do you know he's back?"

"Because he showed me a vision. How the _hell_ do you think I know? He's been pretending to be Fury for God knows how long. Now, he's taken Steve away with him. He was taking control of Bucky, like before with Selvig and Clint."

Natasha glanced. "He was under a spell. But, where is he?"

"We knocked him out back at the house he kept me in. I sent back up to pick him up form there and bring him here."

Tony cleared his throat, loudly. "So, uh, are we going to find Steve or what? Did Loki leave you some kind of clue?"

I shook my head. "No. But, there's something...different about his powers. He can...disappear."

Clint grimaced. "Couldn't he already do that?"

"No, he was able to shift to other places, but not too far from where he was standing before. He just grabbed Steve and vanished into thin air."

"Well, there's nothing we can do. We don't even have a trace on him. We've got nothing." Tony said, frustrated.

Natash shook her head. "There's got to be something."

"Wait." Tony said, suddenly. "You said that Bucky kept you in a house, right, Maria?"

I nodded, not sure where he was going.

"Did you see all the rooms in the house? Maybe Fury's there."

Nat glanced at me, raising an eyebrow. "That's the obvious place Loki could be hiding someone."

"Are we even listening to ourselves?" Clint asked, loudly. "When's the last time we saw Loki?"

We all looked at each other and at Clint, who was waiting for an answer. "We saw him in New York, people!"

Tony shrugged. "So?"

" _So_? We didn't just see him in New York. We saw him fly up to Heaven or whatever with _Thor_. He took him to Asgard with the Tesseract." Clint replied.

Natasha nodded. "If he's down here on Earth, Thor doesn't even know."

We all rushed out of the building and out onto the parking lot of the place. We all looked up at the sky as Clint cleared his throat, awkwardly.

"Uh...what was that guy's name again?"

We all thought for a moment, but JARVIS spoke up from Tony's suit. "I believe it was Heimdall."

Tony glanced up at the sky and yelled, "Heidall! Uh, open the stairway to Heaven!"

We all looked at him and he shrugged. "Whatever."

I rolled my eyes. "Heimdal, open the bifrost!"

There was loud rush of wind and we all stumbled as a bright light shined from the sky. We covered out eyes as loud rush of thunder filled the sky. Suddenly, we saw the man himself. Heimdall was holding his scepter and staring at us with his gold eyes.

"You called?" he asked, gently.

"Heimdal, we need to speak with Thor. Loki's here on Earth and he's taken Steve and Fury." I said, stepping up to him.

His eye twitched as he looked at me. "Loki? Loki is dead."

Natasha shook her head. "No, he's very much alive. Just call Thor!"

Heimdal was clearly distress at this news. What had Loki done on Asgard? Heimdall looked up at the sky and slammed his scepter down on the ground. The ground rumbled and it sounded like thunder crashed as he hit the ground again. More lightning filled the sky as a bright bulb of light flowed down and right in front of us.

Thor, in all his mightyness, appeared before us. His blonde hair draped over his shoulders and his long, red cape blew in the wind. He looked at us with his blue eyes. Tony and Clint shook their heads at him mumbling.

"Show-off." Clint mumbled.

"Thor, we need your help. Loki's here on Earth and he's taken Steve and Fury. He's hidden them somewhere." Natasha said, quickly.

Thor grimaced. "Loki? But, Loki died when-"

"Loki's alive, Thor. He's here on Earth and he has Steve. And Fury." Clint said.

Thor glanced at Heimdall who seemed to be lost in thought. Tony stared at him, as if waiting for a response. Heimdall finally looked at Thor.

"They speak truthfully. Loki, is indeed, here on this planet." he said, calmly.

Tony sighed and nodded. "Now, that you two have _finally_ decided to catch on, where the hell is Loki, anyway?"

Heimdall lifted his finger and pointed behind us. We turned and saw nothing but the far horizon.

"He is somewhere in the West, inside a small building of shelter."

"Where is he exactly?" Natasha asked.

"There are four men inside, including Loki."

Tony nodded. "Steve, Fury, and Bucky."

"I sent agents to pick Bucky up. We have to get there before they do." I said.

Thor clutched his hammer and nodded. Then, he looked behind us and we turned. Wanda appraoched us, cautiously. Natasha and I walked up to her as she stared at us.

"Wanda, I thought you were on a mission with Sam and Vision." Natasha said, putting her hands on her hips.

She but her lip and nodded. "I was. But, we received word that some chaos was going on back here. I left the mission as soon as I could to get back here when I heard that Steve was missing."

I felt a small cringe in my stomach by how she said Steve's name. I ignored it as Natasha put a hand on her shoulder.

"Wanda, the director is also missing. We're going to get them both back, and I think we're going to need you the most." she said, softly.

Tony cleared his throat. "JARVIS, the quinjet, if you please."

* * *

Steve awoke with a massive headache. He was lying on his back and slowly sat up, rubbing his forehead. His sheild was missing and his eyelids felt heavy from the headache. His leg was also in great pain. When he tried to get up, he hissed and realized his leg was broken.

He was in a small room with Loki, standing by the door. In his hand was a sceptor of gold. It looked similar to a trident, but the middle point was longer than the othe other two. Loki held it tightly in his hand and stared at it, drunk by its power.

"You have great power and strength, little soldier." Loki said, quietly as he stared at the spear.

Steve groaned, quietly. Loki continued speaking. "Gungnir. My father's spear."

Steve grimaced. "Odin...how did-"

"It wasn't easy, I assure you. But, I have been watching and ruling Asgard as its rightful ruler these past few months." Loki chuckled.

He walked towards Steve, clutching the spear. "What do you want with me?"

Loki placed the end of the spear under Steve's chin and lifted it. "I have you and Director Fury in my grasp. With the two of you, I can use you to take down the rest of you, Avengers, one by one. Then, there's nothing else getting in my way in dominating this planet."

"You really think that they're stupid enough to come here and play any of your stupid games?"

They heard a distant engine and the wind's speed increased. Loki grinned and nodded. "That's exactly what I think."

Clint lowered the quinjet down on the ground and I joined Natasha as we exited. We walked towards the cabin. She and I took out our handguns and approached. Thor and Tony quietly surrounded the cabin and waited for our signal. Natasha kicked the door down and we rushed in, hearing a muffled sound. We walked through the cabin and spotted a hallway.

We walked past several doors and saw one that was open. Inside, Bucky was bound by chains and unconscious. Natasha put a hand to her ear and signaled Tony.

"Tony, Bucky's inside a room on your side. Get him out and take him to the quinjet."

" _Copy that_."

We left the room and continued looking for Steve. A muffled screamed made us look to a door a few feet from the room where Bucky was. We burst into the room where the scream came from and saw Steve battling Loki on the floor. He kicked Loki in the stomach and punched him in the face with all his strength. Steve's lip was bleeding and he quickly wiped it.

He turned to us as he bent down to pick up a gold spear. "He had this on him."

I took the spear from him and clutched it. "I recognize it. It's Odin's."

Ntasha grimaced. "Odin's? How can you be sure?"

"I did my research on gods and such after the whole New York thing. And, after Thor first came to Earth." I replied, holding the spear in both hands.

Steve panted and put his hand on my shoulder. "I knew you'd come."

I smiled. "I wasn't going to let you go that easily."

Natasha shook her head. "Okay, you two, let's get the other in here. Thor? Tony? We got him. Stand down and get in here."

They did and they were surprised to see Loki on the floor. Thor noticed the spear in my hands and his eyes filled with horror.

"Where did you get that?"

"He had it on him. It's your father's, isn't it?" I asked, giving it to him.

He took it from me and nodded, slowly. "But, how did it come to his possession?"

Tony shrugged. "Hasn't he been under tight security in Asgard? How do you not know?"

"We'll discuss it on the way bac to headquarters. Let's get moving. Did you get Bucky on board the quinjet?" I asked.

Thor nodded. "He is safely aboard but still unconscious."

"What about Fury? Did you see him in the cabin?" Nat asked.

Thor and Tony shook their heads. I lowered my eyes and nodded. Steve motioned for us to go. "Come on. We better head back."

Thor and Tony grabbed Loki and dragged him to the quinjet. Wanda saw us come back and nodded at Steve. "Glad to see you're alright."

He nodded back at her. "Good to be back."

Clint flew the quinjet into the air and we headed back to headquarters. Steve and I sat together. I looked at him and got an idea.

"Want to see if Bucky's okay? He might be awake by now." I suggested.

"Maybe. But, not now." he sighed.

"You sure? He might be awake."

"I don't want to bother him. He needs some time to calm down. And, I don't even know what I'm going to say to him."

I side-smiled and rested my head on his shoulder. "Whatever you want."

He looked down at me and smiled. The quinjet landed back at headquarters and Thor dragged Loki out of his cell, still unconscious. Tony raised his eyebrows and looked at Steve.

"How hard did you hit him?"

Steve shrugged. "Pretty hard."

A handful of agents threw him into a cell and Steve, Natasha, and I waited for him to wake up. Natasha sighed and rubbed her temples.

"I'm calling it a night. Let's head back here tomorrow morning, alright?" she asked, looking at us for a response.

"Sounds good. Night, Nat."

I looked at Steve and he let out a small sigh. We looked back at Loki, who still wasn't awake.

"Did he hurt you?" I asked, quietly.

He lowered his eyes. "No. Not physically, anyway. I mean, I can handle a few punches, but he said a few things that stuck with me."

I stared at his blue eyes and leaned closer to him. "What did he say?"

He bit his lip, hesitantly. Running a hand through his hair, he sighed. "I'd rather not discuss it."

Lowering my eyes, I nodded. I felt a bit bad that he didn't feel like sharing, but it had been a long day. Loki started to moan but he didn't wake up.

"You know what? Let's get out of here. Just you and me." Steve said, holding my hands.

I looked up at him, surprised. "Now?"

Slowly, he leaned in and pressed his lips onto mine. I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around his neck. We parted and he looked down at me, smiling.

"Let's head to your place." he said, quietly.

He held my hand and we left the room. Clint noticed us leaving and whistled. "You guys going somewhere?"

Steve turned and looked at him. "Oh, you mind taking over for us really fast?"

Clint shook his head with a smirk. "Go on. Get outta here."

He walked down the hallway and spotted Tony, heading into the cell room. "Looking for someone?"

Tony looked at him. "Yeah, you seen Steve anywhere?"

Clint chuckled. "He and Maria just left. They said they'd be back."

Tony shook his head. "Those two are just impossible, aren't they?"

"Yeah, they are. You see Wanda anywhere?"

As if on cue, Wanda appeared, reading a few papers in her hand. Clint nodded to her and she smiled. "Have you seen Steve?"

Boh men shook their heads and said he had gone. Wanda nodded and sighed.

"We're going to check on the prince of mischief. You coming?" Clint asked her.

She shrugged. "I suppose."

They all headed into the room and heard a moan. They paused when they saw Loki lift his head off the floor. He looked around and gasped when he saw that he was in a cell. He spotted the three of them and grimaced.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Well, you've been caught, Reindeer Games." Tony replied.

"What? Is this some kind of game, Stark? Why am I in a cell?" Loki asked, angrily.

He tried to get up, but he yelled in pain and stumbled back down. "My leg...it's broken."

Wanda looked at Clint and back at Loki. "Where is Fury?"

Loki grimaced. "How the _hell_ should I know? Gte me out of here right now!"

Tony scoffed. "You're gonna play like that? I have just the thing for you. Wanda? Try to get in his mind and see if you can find Fury."

Wanda nodded and the door to the cell was opened. She stepped towards Loki who stepped away. "What are you doing? Are you guys crazy?"

Wanda wiggled her fingers at Loki's face and his eyes changed color. She closed her eyes and suddenly heard gunshots and yelling. After a moment, she gasped and stepped away. Loki caught his breath and breathed heavily.

"You think you're funny?" he panted.

Wanda stared down at Loki, shaking her head and jaw hung open. "S-Steve?"

~x~

 **A/N: HOLY SMOKES...Cliffhangers are fun, huh? :D Anyways, thanks for reading and more to come...  
**


	8. Chapter 8

Wanda stepped away from Loki, or Steve rather, and breathed heavily. Clint and Tony exchanged glances at each other, in total shock.

"So, you mean..." Tony breathed.

"Loki just left with...Maria?" Clint finished.

Tony rushed out of the room with Clint and Wanda following behind. Tony ran into a lower floor and put on his suit. Clint grabbed his bow as he hurried in.

"How do you want to do this?" he asked.

"You head in with Wanda and get Maria out. Once she's out, I'll move in with Thor." Tony explained.

"But, what about Maria?" Wanda asked, walking into the room.

"The less she knows about it, the better. Just make sure you get her out." Tony replied.

"I'll warm up the quinjet." Clint nodded.

"What about Steve?" Wanda asked.

"He has to stay here. If he comes with us, we don't want to have to face the problem of getting them confused." Tony replied.

"Very well. Let's go."

* * *

Steve and I arrived at my apartment and got inside. I put my keys down on the kitchen counter and sighed, turning to look at him.

"So, this is where you live?" he asked.

I nodded and bit my lip. "More or less."

He shrugged. "Not bad."

He walked towards the window above the kitchen sink. I looked at my fridge and opened it. "You want something to drink?"

"No, I'm fine."

I took out a Coke and opened it. Taking a small sip, Steve took the can from my hand and placed it on the counter, staring at me. His hand reached up and placed a stray hair behind my cheek. He leaned towards my face before we heard a knock on my door. I turned and looked back at Steve. His face was hard and he shook his head.

I walked towards the door and reached out to open it. Suddenly, Steve took grabbed my arm and drew me back.

"Steve, what's-"

His hand firmly grasped my throat and I gasped with a croak. Suddenly, I heard Clint's voice. "Maria? You there?"

Steve spoke in a quiet growl. "Don't do anything stupid."

His grip on my throat loosened a bit and I inhaled deeply. "Clint?"

"Yeah, it's me. Open the door. You okay?"

Steve's hand hardened its grip and I groaned aloud. The door handle started to jiggle as Clint tried to open it.

"Maria? Can you hear me?"

I croaked as I felt my vision blur. I reached out my hand and tried to get ahold of Steve, but I was quickly losing strength. Clint was throwing himself against the door now. Suddenly, it was blown open and Steve dragged me down with him. His arm wrapped around my neck as Clint and Wanda rushed in.

"Get back!" Steve yelled.

Clint aimed his bow and glared at him. "Let her go."

Suddenly, I heard a deep chuckle. Steve was no longer holding onto me. It was Loki. Wanda's hands glowed bright red as she gritted her teeth. Loki stood me up and I saw my chance. I kicked his leg hard and he let me go. Clint moved forward and pulled me away as Wanda blasted a jet of red light at Loki. He fell onto his back and groaned.

Suddenly, one of the walls of my apartment exploded as Tony and Thor flew in. Thor tackled Loki down with a grunt and Tony saluted Clint.

"Looks like I missed the fun." he said, sighing.

I gave him a look, pointing where my wall used to be. "You always have to make a grand entrance, don't you? I'm _not_ paying for that to be repaired."

Tony shrugged. "I'll pay for it. Hell, sweetheart, I'll even fix it myself."

Thor got Loki in a headlock and demanded to know where Fury was. "Where is he?"

Loki chuckled. "You'll never find him."

Wanda smirked and rolled up her sleeves. "I thought it might come to this"

She held her hands above Loki's head and wiggled her fingers. His eyes turned red and he exhaled sharply. We all watched as Wanda closed her eyes for a moment. Then, she opened them again, wincing.

"What?" Clint asked. "Where is he?"

She glanced at each of us and replied, "He's...dead."

~x~


End file.
